ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi gives a strongmessage to Afghanistan over bilateral talks.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said any reservations Afghanistanhas with Pakistan should be resolved bilaterally rather than involving theUnited States.
The foreign minister’s remarks were in reference to part of a jointUS-Afghan declaration on peace efforts signed on Saturday by AfghanPresident Ashraf Ghani, US Defence Secretary Mark Esper and NATOSecretary-General Jens Stoltenberg at a ceremony to coincide with thesigning in Doha of an agreement between the Taliban and US.
“The United States commits to facilitate discussions between Afghanistanand Pakistan to work out arrangements to ensure neither country’s securityis threatened by actions from the territory of the other side,” one of theclauses of the declaration reads.
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“They should talk directly to Pakistan. The US is planning to withdraw andwe will always remain neighbors,” Qureshi told *Reuterslink*inan interview, referring to Washington’s intent to withdraw troops fromAfghanistan.
“If I have an issue with Afghanistan, I will not ask Washington to play arole.”
